Endless Eternity
by Opal Soul
Summary: Posted before the rebooting of this site that deleted this fic from its archive. What if Darien never touched the locket in the Negaverse?... No romance so far; WARNING: lots of character death. But things are never what they seem...
1. Life's Death: Prologue

**Endless Eternity**  
_Prologue: Life's Death_  
By: Opal Soul  


  
    "Darien," Serena whispered. "Oh, Darien . . . don't you remember? Don't you remember _anything_?"  
    Blue eyes glinted relentlessly and Darien raised his hands to deliver the deathblow.  
    Reluctantly Serena brought her own hands in front of her body. "Moon Tiara," she commanded. "Please work." The last was offered as a prayer, a plea.  
    Pain tore through Darien as joltages of power penetrated his armor and ignited his skin. He yelled, partly with fury, partly with pain. The power from the small girl lifted him off his knees and threw him four feet away.  
    He lay for a moment on the hard, cold ground, stunned.  
    The voice of Beryl flooded his mind. "My darling prince," her voice said soothingly. "Sailor Moon is the enemy. The enemy, Darien. While she is still alive, we will never be completely happy together."  
    Beryl . . . his Beryl. Even now he could picture her face upturned to his. He could almost feel the soft, sensuous skin beneath his fingertips as she beckoned invitingly. His dull blue eyes flickered with energy, then narrowed into angry slits. With a loud warcry, he ignored the pain and ran toward the girl who stood blocking his way-- his only way-- to happiness.  
    "_You_!" he snarled. "It's _you_ who's caused this!"  
    "_Me_?" Serena asked, bewildered. "How is that . . . possible?"  
    "If you had minded your own business," he accused, "Beryl and I would be living happily, not fighting battle after battle after battle, not living in fear and hiding. We would be _free_. My freedom is my happiness, Sailor Moon."  
    Tears shone in Serena's crystal blue eyes. "Do you-- love her?" she asked. Her voice trembled. "Don't answer that." She searched with her soul, probing his mind and heart. She gave a cry when the darkness and evil engulfed her, almost putting out her own light. Gasping, she looked up at him, wide-eyed.  
    "I will kill you," he said in a determined voice.  
    "Oh, Darien," she caressed him with her voice and beautiful eyes, "perhaps destiny was never-- meant to be." She felt something clamp onto her heart, holding it captive in a tight squeeze. Slowly it constricted with her words. "I . . . surrender, Darien; you may . . . kill me. I only want your happiness."  
    "What's . . . happening . . . to me?" Darien screamed at her. Unseen forces tore at his heart. "It's you!"  
    "No, Darien. . . . it's not," Serena said gently. "Darien-- look deep inside you, please. . . . there _must_ be some good in you still somewhere . . . . please look, my-- "  
    Serena lay lifeless on the floor. The whiteness of her costume was stained a vibrant red. A pool of blood cradled her blond curls and soaked her already dark fuku.  
  


**-- Death --**

  
  
Copyrighted/Written: May 29, 2000.  
**Disclaimer:** Standard. You're seriously in need of mental rehabilitation [or otherwise] if you think I own Sailor Moon.  
**A/N:** Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! I know you guys all hate me, but I was just wondering to myself one day, "What would happen if Darien wasn't healed by the Star Locket?" You know? And so this came out. I admit, not Romance-- _yet_! I _am_ going to extend this into a longer story/novel. At first I was going to leave it at this, but then I got caught up in the idea. Once again, _sorry_!  
**Thanks to:** my wonderful spell-check.  
**E-mail:** tammiest@juno.com _or_ Dariens_Bunny@sailormoon.com  
_"If I am a jewel, as a dear friend once flirtatiously dubbed me, I am an opal. Fiery ice swirling in the milk-white of innocence. Passion and compassion. Myself to the core."_ Surprisingly enough, I wrote that. It's just to clarify any questions on my strange pen-name.


	2. Chained: Chapter One

**Endless Eternity**  
_Chapter One: Chained_  
By: Opal Soul  
  


    Amy flinched as she woke wearily to the ice pressed cruelly against her bleeding back. The resident genius knew she had but moments to live. Her mind drifted.  
    She saw a blue-haired, studious girl sitting at a desk. She was leafing through a book. On closer inspection, the cover read in big black letters, "The Einstein Theory of Relativity." The girl looked up wistfully at her classmates. They were grouped around different desks, chatting together, laughing blissfully, and occasionally glancing her way. Amy pretended not to care and bent her blue head closer to the text to hide the tears gathering in her equally blue eyes.  
    _I wish I could join them_, Amy thought. _But they'd probably just tease me for being smart_.  
    "Amy!" a loud, almost-childish voice called in her ear. A small hand, manicured perfectly, plucked the thick book out of Amy's startled, trembling hands. Serena's small, pert nose wrinkled. "Einstein's Theory of Relativity?" she asked, grimacing. "Amy! This is recess! Let's go outside, okay? Lita brought the most delicious cookies! I can't wait!"  
    "Serena," Amy started reproachfully, secretly wishing her bubbly blond friend meant what she had said. "I don't know. I should-- "  
    "Study?" Serena put her hand behind her head, giggling. "Amy! You always study! A person should have some fun, too! Now, come on!"  
    Amy allowed herself to be pulled away from her desk. Immediately some girls who never spoke to her came up to the pair. "Serena! Come sit with us!" one said.  
    Serena shook her head. "Some other time, okay, guys? I'm with Amy right now. You're welcome to join us if you want."  
    Amy smiled gratefully at her friend's wink.  
    Now a smile touched Amy's pale lips. Salty tears poured from her eyes to rest on her chapped mouth. "Serena! You were always there for me! I'm sorry I failed you." Her brain screamed in agony, informing her of Serena's death. Bowing her head in defeat, Amy joined her friend.  
  
    Images flashed through Raye's mind as she lay near death.  
    She saw a beautiful priestess sweeping the grounds of the Cherry Hill Temple. Two schoolgirls in uniforms for Juuban whispered within hearing distance. Crows circled Raye's head, one landing on her outstretched hand. "How are you today, Keiko?" she asked.  
    The girl with the wispy sky blue braid whispered to her companion, "There; did you hear that, Natalie? I told you she's weird."  
    The other girl tossed her flame-colored head. "I hear she's got no friends. Who would want to hang out with her, anyway?"  
    Tears stung Raye's eyes. She turned to glare at the two inconsiderate girls. "What are you staring at!" she yelled. Quickly she reached for her charms. "I call upon the power of-- "  
    "Raye!" a cheery voice called. "They're not worth it." A small hand came out of no-where and grabbed the paper from Raye's own hand.  
    "But they-- " Raye started, trying to hide her tears from her friend.  
    "I heard what they said," Serena said gently, "but it's not true, Raye. I love you, and I'll always be your friend!" Serena turned to give Taisha and Natalie a silver-blue gaze.  
    They gulped. "Come on," Taisha said, whipping her blue head. "Let's go to the mall."  
    The two girls left nervously.  
    Instantly Raye flamed. "Meatball Head! I was handling it fine!"  
    Silver-blue never flinched. A lopsided, endearing smile appeared on Serena's beautiful face. "I know that, Pyro, but I never liked those girls anyway."  
    Raye couldn't help but smile back in a rare moment of peace.  
    Now a smile touched Raye's pale lips. She licked them once, whispering, "Princess! I'm sorry I failed you." Her heart fluttered twice; then a tiny spurt of pain rushed through her brain, informing her of Serena's death. Bowing her head in defeat, Raye joined her friend.  
  
    Lita's battered, beaten body lay helplessly on the broken shards of concrete. Wisps of brown hair fell limply into her glossed green eyes. Scenes from her life played.  
    She saw a tall, muscularly athletic girl in a strange uniform on a curb. A triplet of boy students cowered on the other side of the grounds, glancing nervously and shivering in her direction. Lita's ears turned pink with the beginnings of anger. Her fist clenched. _No one here knows me and they're already afraid of me!_ she thought resentfully.  
    "Chocolate chip cookies!" a voice screeched. "I _love_ chocolate chip cookies!"  
    Lita turned her brunette head to the source. "Huh? Who are you?"  
    The blond smiled broadly. "Who; me? I'm Serena. And you're that new girl, right?"  
    Lita recognized her popular, beautiful, but ditzy classmate. "What are you doing here?" she managed to growl. _If she's playing a joke on me . . . _  
    Serena looked longingly at Lita's large lunch. "Can I have one?" she asked.  
    "Huh? Aren't you afraid of me?" Lita's large emerald eyes blinked.  
    "Should I be?" Nothing but innocence and astonishment were in Serena's honest eyes.  
    Lita's face relaxed into a smile. "Here. Have a cookie."  
    Now a smile touched Lita's pale lips. She ignored the instinct of licking them, instead shouting, "Serena! I'm sorry I wasn't good enough! I failed you!" The strength suddenly ebbed from Lita's body as her limbs went numb, informing her of Serena's death. Bowing her head in defeat, Lita joined her friend.  
  
    Mina's thick eyelashes fluttered upward. She shifted painfully on the thorn-strewed ground. They dug into her back, but for all their pain, they were nothing compared to the events parading before her memory.  
    She saw a blonde teen idol, sighing from exhaustion after an exceptionally difficult photo shoot. Mina kicked off her black high heels and sank into the velvet sofa gratefully. Her fingers trailed down the sides of her be-ribboned blouse and short, short skirt-- they were all a mockery of her alter-ego, Sailor V or now as she knew, Sailor Venus. She thought forlornly of her busy schedule. _Nobody really looks inside to see who I am_, she thought bitterly. _I'm just another shallow blonde._  
    "Mina! I didn't know you were Sailor V!" a voice said hushedly.  
    Mina sighed. "I am," she said dully.  
    "I think that's great!" Serena gushed. "Oh, wow!"  
    Mina smiled a little. "Thanks," she mumbled.  
    Serena grinned lopsidedly. "Think you can become Mina for a while and come with the girls and me to a movie?"  
    Mina was a little taken aback. "Umm . . . are you sure you want me to go?"  
    Serena nodded. "For sure! It won't be the same without Mina!"  
    Mina smiled broadly this time and winked, throwing her sailor pose.  
    Now a smile touched Mina's pale lips. Her tongue reached out to touch her mouth, now devoid of lipstick. "Serena! I'm sorry! Sailor V failed you!" A shiver ran through her body as her nerves froze and her beautiful, flawless face turned blue, informing her of Serena's death. Bowing her head in defeat, Mina joined her friend.  
  
    The Imperium Silver Crystal was missing. Queen Beryl searched frantically, even clawing at the still and beautiful corpse of her nemesis, Sailor Moon. The brooch on her chest was dull and the crystal was not inside. "Prince Darien!" she panicked. "Where can it be?"  
    Darien searched with his cold, dark eyes. They flared with his second sight. His handsome face took on a puzzled air. "I can't find it, my queen," he murmured.  
    "No!" Beryl screamed. "No! I have to have it!"  
    Darien rose and placed his arms around his queen, drawing her carefully closer. "Beryl, my love . . . if my instinct tells me correctly-- and I am never wrong-- the Silver Crystal has simply been reincarnated. At least we have rid the earth of that crybaby annoyance, Sailor Moon." He laughed emptily.  
    Beryl smiled, reaching slightly up to touch Darien's dark, shimmering hair. "And we have each other."  
    The emotion that stained the eerie quiet of the Negaverse throneroom was not pure. It radiated an evilness. . . . the air reeked of lust, of deceit, of power. Darien, even in his brainwashed, emotionally devoid state, shivered a little in his armor. Beryl, on the other hand, moved her hands up and down Darien's armored chest, purring, "We have years to wait." She thrilled in the wickedness of the moment.  
    Darien was puzzled, and a touch of real emotion touched his midnight. "My love, surely we will die someday."  
    Beryl smiled, fangs bared. "I'm afraid, my prince, we will stay frozen in time. You see, my lord, the moment you entered into the dark forces, age froze for you. You shall always be 19; I shall always be 24. There is no death here. Not from aging."  
    As Beryl's painted red lips claimed his in a fiery kiss, Darien's heart made curious sounds as the glimmer of light left and despair took its place.  
  


**-- Death --**

  
  
**Copyrighted/Written:** June 25, 2000.  
**Disclaimer:** Standard. I don't think it was in Naoko's best interest to kill off every one of her main characters like this. Oh. . . . wait a minute. She did that, too, in the comic book. Oops. :p  
**A/N:** What do you think? I _had_ to kill off all the characters for what I have in mind. The Beryl scene with Darien bothered me, too-- she should keep her evil, red-hung mittens off our Darien-- but it was essential. This story, so far, is rather . . . depressing, I guess, but I promise it will get better. One of these days the title will be explained.  
**Thanks to:** my wonderful spell-check.  
**E-mail:** tammiest@juno.com _or_ Dariens_Bunny@sailormoon.com  
_"If I am a jewel, as a dear friend once flirtatiously dubbed me, I am an opal. Fiery ice swirling in the milk-white of innocence. Passion and compassion. Myself to the core."_ Surprisingly enough, I wrote that. It's just to clarify any questions on my strange pen-name. 


End file.
